


Who You Are

by 0bviousLeigh



Series: Yuma is a Girl [40]
Category: Yu-Gi-Oh! Zexal
Genre: Body Horror, Gender or Sex Swap, Other
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-27
Updated: 2018-01-27
Packaged: 2019-03-10 08:34:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,153
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13498424
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/0bviousLeigh/pseuds/0bviousLeigh
Summary: This is not who you are.





	Who You Are

**Author's Note:**

> You aren't ready for this but here we go.

Yuma doesn’t know what’s happening with Kite and Ryoga, and frankly, she doesn’t care. All she knows is that Rei’s body stood up, and Vector came splitting out of his skin.

“God, are you simple-minded!” Vector crows, “I spouted nothing but nonsense from my mouth, and you believed every single word!” He pitches his voice higher. “Barian Police, protecting Astral,” He throws his head back and laughs. “It was fun, playing friends with you!”

Yuma clutches her chest. She bares her teeth. Behind her Astral is yelling, begging her to calm down. But she’s beyond listening to Astral, or Vector, or anyone.

“I attack you directly with Hope Ray V!” She screeches.

“No you don’t!” Vector sing-songs, “Remember those five cards I gave you? They all have V in their names, and I activate a trap that sends them to the graveyard, gives me 500 life points for each one, and then for each of those five cards, you must send five cards to the graveyard!”

Yuma watches her cards fly out of her deck. She’s lost 25 cards in one turn, she only has three left, and now 3 turns to end the duel before she loses by a technicality.

“I knew you would have those cards in your deck,” Vector taunts, “I knew you’d use Hope Ray V, I knew you would lose your cool when you saw who I really was. You played right into my hands!”

Yuma falls to her knees. She did, didn’t she? Even though she was honest with Astral, even though she kept some of her friends out of this, in the end, what good did it do? There’s still people she cares about here, in this horrible world, because she had to rescue someone who wasn’t even a person, never mind her friend.

Vector stares at Yuma with those huge eyes, he snarls through his mouthless face, “You dragged everyone here, you’re all going to die, and it’s all your fault. What will you do?”

Yuma’s chest feels like it’s being crushed. She hunches over, head pressed to her knees, and shuts her eyes tight. She can’t breathe, she can’t think, she can’t possibly go on. Not like this, not how she is…

 _‘Is this all you are?’_ A voice whispers in Yuma’s head. _‘Look at you, no wonder he thinks you’re weak. You haven’t always been like this though, have you? What happened to the fearsome girl who dueled gang members into submission? What happened to the girl who scared Red?’_

That’s right, she did scare Red now and then, didn’t she? When Kitty would show up with particularly vicious bruises, when the stories about Heartland would really get to her, Red used to say that she would get this look in her eyes like she was out for blood. At those times Red would take her aside and tell her to breathe through her rage, remember that she was a kid, and that temporary relief by breaking noses wouldn’t help in the long run.

But Red isn’t here now, is she?

Yuma takes a deep breath, and lets that rage consume her. It floods her, red hot and invigorating. Suddenly she feels like she can function again. Suddenly she feels like she’s not quite so helpless.

“You know,” Yuma hisses, “I think you’re the one who’s mistaken here.” She opens her eyes and the ground wobbles like her vision is blurring, or maybe the air and ground around her is physically wavering. “You seem to be under the impression that I’m a good person, but I’m not.”

Something strange seems to be happening to Yuma. She’s breathing like she’s just run a mile. Her lungs are on fire, her whole body is on fire for that matter—like her blood is boiling. It feels almost like Zexal—her skin is tingling, her veins are pulsing, her bones are shaking apart to form something new. She must be hallucinating, because now she can see the air, and it’s rushing towards her.

She closes her eyes and a blast of wind hits her. She lets out a shout as it rushes through and around her body—hot cold fierce gentle powerful consuming—and she grabs it, she controls it. It circles around her, lifting her hair and twirling through it like fingers. It encourages her, whispers to her—you are powerful, you are to be feared, you can stand up to Vector.

Yuma stands. She snatches her knife from her pocket and flicks it open. She finally looks up and sneers at Vector. “I’m not a good person,” she repeats. “And I’ve been pretending to be one for too long.” She cocks her head to one side and looks Vector up and down. “You know, I’ve been wondering if you Barian freaks would bleed if you were cut, what color your blood would be.”

Vector is silent as Yuma balances the knife between her fingers, point digging into the tip of her finger just enough to sting. She imagines sinking the knife into Vector’s chest. Would it work? Would the knife bounce off his skin? The wind circling her howls in approval.

“Wanna test it out, Vector?” She croons, “Wanna play with me? We can play Repo. I’ll be the surgeon, and I’ll see what your blood and bones and organs look like.”

She throws her head back and laughs. The wind whips around her. Oh, that feels good. She’s not scared anymore, she doesn’t feel guilty. There’s something to be said for anger.

Yuma cuts her laugh off as she bares her teeth. She hisses, “You hurt me, and I’m going to hurt you right back. But you know what? I don’t need a knife to do that.” She turns to Astral, barely paying attention to the horrified look on his face. “It’s time for Zexal.”

Astral shakes his head, rapidly, side to side. “I-I don’t think that’s a good idea,” he says. “I don’t like what you’re becoming.”

Yuma tries to dial it back, just a little. She sends the wind away, and feels her hair settle on her shoulders. “No, it’s good!” She insists. “I feel better, stronger, braver!” She laughs. “I can take on Vector! I’m a big, scary girl,” She smiles, feeling wild. “Try it Astral, try it with me!” She holds out her hand—why do her nails look so long? Whatever, it doesn’t matter. “Come on Astral. We can do this, together! Let’s be Zexal, let’s do this!”

Astral gulps, but he extends his hand slightly. Yuma lunges forward and grabs it, and they fly up together.

 

* * *

 

From inside the airship, Kotori watches Vector tear his way out of Rei’s body. She watches Yuma panic, she watches Yuma lose her cards, and then she watches Yuma lose her mind. The air around her seems to waver, a dark glow surrounding her, and then a strange wind rushes her and encircles her.

“Yuma!” Kotori and wails. She slams a button on the ship’s control panel and a telescope focuses closer on Yuma. Her nails have begun to elongate, her eyes look wild and her teeth look sharper, she hisses the most hideous things at Vector…and then she holds her hand out to Astral.

“No!” Kotori and Rio scream together.

But Astral and Yuma come together. The light from their fusion isn’t blue and red, but black and purple. The ball of light crashes into the airstrip, and when it fades, someone is standing there, but it isn’t the Zexal that Kotori recognizes. Everything about this person seems to be shadowed, like they’ve been cloaked in darkness. Their nails are long and sharp, their teeth like fangs, their eyes…completely black. They look like a monster, but Kotori can still see Yuma in them, which makes them even more terrifying.

This Zexal performs what they call a “Dark Draw,” like Shining Draw, but…not. The card they draw equips to Hope Ray V, and then, then Zexal and Vector begin a dance of attack, back and forth, with Yuma taking the most damage and reveling in it.

Rio grabs Kotori’s hand and pulls her up—when did she fall? “Come on,” Rio says, “We have to go save Yuma and Astral.”

 

* * *

 

 

Astral wakes up at the base of a tall tower, like something out of a fairytale, if the fairytale was about a desolate world. The sky is black with purple clouds, and there’s a howling wind that chills him to the bone. Somehow he knows Yuma is in that tower, and he needs to get to her. So Astral gets up and, finding himself unable to fly, he begins to climb the winding stairs.

Something has happened to Yuma. Astral has seen her mad before, but never like this. He has seen her lose hope, he has seen her hurt, and he guesses that this time has been too much. Yuma values her friends, and Rei, no, _Vector_ betrayed her. She’s been hurt badly, and Astral…Astral blames himself for allowing it. He’s forgotten that Yuma is so young. She’s been comforting him, and yes, she has people around her, but how many of them truly understand her burden? She thinks she alone can save Astral world, can save him from the Barians, but who will save her?

“I will,” Astral tells himself. “I will…for my will is as strong as yours…”

Astral makes it to the top of the tower, emerging from the stairs in a large room with a single stained glass window. For the moment, he can’t see Yuma. Then he hears something, a voice whispering…

“…almost over, soon, soon…”

Astral looks under the window. A figure clothed in a black cape is crouched, facing away from him.

“Yuma?” He calls.

The figure turns. It is Yuma, looking like she did just before they formed Zexal, but…more. Her teeth are fangs, her eyes are wild and red, her nails longer even than Vector’s, and her skin has a greyish tint to it. She looks like death, Astral realizes.

“Yuma, what happened to you?” Astral gasps.

Yuma grins, baring her new teeth. “Nothing new,” she says. “I’m finally as ugly on the outside as I was on the inside.” She stands and twirls. “Aren’t I hideous, Astral? It’s okay, you can admit it.” She giggles. “I’ve always been a bad girl, I was just good at hiding it until Vector brought it out. I’m sick of being nice, letting people walk all over me and having to save them in the end. I’m ready to hurt people the way I’ve been hurt.” She turns to the window again. “Sorry Astral, but 96 was right. We do need darkness and evil and all those things. We’re stronger with them.”

“No, we’re not,” Astral insists. “We’re made of love, and…and I’m sorry.”

Yuma turns back to him. “What are you sorry about?” she scoffs.

“I wasn’t there when you needed me,” Astral says, stepping closer. “But I’ll do better now, if you let me help you.”

“No!” Yuma screams. She throws out her hands and a wind blows Astral back on to the floor. He rolls several feet before he sits up, stunned but not hurt.

Yuma backs away. “You, you go away now. I don’t want you to see me like this.” She covers her face. “You’re better than me, purer than me, I’ll be evil all by myself, I will.”

Astral’s chest is physically aching. Even now, angry and scared as she is, twisted as Vector has made her, she won’t hurt him. “But I love you,” Astral says, his voice breaking. “I love all of you, bad and good. But you’re not evil and I’m not purer than you. You’re scared and angry and I know that, I’m sorry I didn’t see it sooner and talk to you about it. I’m sorry I didn’t understand that this was too much for you to handle. I’m sorry I overburdened you.”

“No!” Yuma wails. She covers her ears and shuts her eyes. “You won’t trick me into giving up my power! I won’t be weak again, I won’t be scared, I won’t be used!”

“This isn’t your power!” Astral cries. “This…this isn’t who you are!”

The song, the song from Moana that she loves, it comes to him _._ “I… _I have crossed the horizon to find you.”_

Yuma seems to freeze. She lowers her hands from her head and opens her eyes. They’re not red anymore, and they’ve lost that crazed look. It’s working.

 _“I know your name…”_ Astral sings, gently.

Yuma stares at him, her mouth slightly open. Her teeth are no longer fanged.

 _“They have stolen the heart from inside you,”_ Astral whispers.

Yuma frowns in concentration. “But this does not…” she says hesitantly. She squeezes her eyes shut and shakes her head. “Does not…”

 _“Define you,”_ Astral finishes. _“This is not who you are.”_

Yuma opens her eyes and stares at him. She begins to cry. Astral launches himself at her, wraps his arms around her, and together they fall. Together, they fly.

 

* * *

 

 

Just as Ryoga steps toward the field where Zexal stands, ready to throw his own duel, Zexal freezes, convulses, and is engulfed in white light, from which two bodies are thrown. Yuma lands on one side, and Astral on the other.

Ryoga’s eyes sting with tears. “Thank you,” he whispers.

 

* * *

 

Astral’s ears ring, and everything beyond the ringing sounds muffled. They must have lost a lot of life points, since he can tell he’s fading. It takes so much effort just to lift his head. Yuma lies feet away from him, her arms over her face, and her whole body shaking as she cries.

“STOP!” Yuma screams.

Above them, Hope Ray V freezes.

“Stop,” Yuma whimpers. “Just make it all stop.”

Sargasso takes that as Yuma ending her turn. Hope Ray V goes back to its resting stance.

“You still have to take damage,” Vector says.

Astral ignores Vector and crawls over to Yuma. “I never finished the song,” he says.

Yuma lowers her arms. She’s filthy, her tears have left clean streaks in the dirt on her cheeks. She looks so tired, and ashamed, and scared.

Astral takes both her hands in his own. _“This is not who you are,”_ he repeats, _“You know who you are.”_ He leans down and presses his forehead against hers. He closes his eyes. “Who you truly are,” he finishes in a whisper.

Sargasso’s effect hits them.

The lightning hits Yuma square in the chest and Astral is blown back. When he opens his eyes again, Yuma is on her feet and fighting. Astral flickers in and out, catching only snippets of the duel, and he hears Vector, taunting her still. Yuma looks so tired, so worn-down, and through the haze of his own pain, Astral realizes that she’s fading, too.

 _‘Stop,’_ he wants to say, _‘Can’t you see she’s been through enough? Leave her alone, take me, don’t make her do this.’_

She starts her next turn, but after she draws her last card she collapses again. Astral hears Vector say that she only has 25 life points left. Astral looks at her. She’s pale and sweating, and the spark in her soul seems dimmer. It makes sense—this world clearly wasn’t meant for humans, and she’s given so much to this duel and this world already.

Astral lifts his head. “Yuma,” he whispers, “Do you still believe in me?” He trusts she’ll be able to hear him.

Yuma pulls herself up and drags herself to Astral on her elbows. “Of course,” she says. “Do you believe in me, even after all this?”

Astral grins. “I do.”

Yuma leans down and kisses him. Once more, they fly up to the sky surrounded by light, but this time it’s familiar. They collide, hot and cold, fast and slow, inside and out, coming together until something new is born in this wasteland of a world. Something wonderful and powerful, something made of the love they have for each other.

 

* * *

 

A wave of relief washes over Kotori as the new Zexal stands feet away from her. “Yuma! Astral!” She screams.

They turn and give Kotori and Rio a smile and a wave. “Ship good to go?” They ask.

Rio nods and snaps a picture with her phone.

“Good, because we’re going home soon,” Zexal says.

Kotori sobs. “Yuma, Astral, I…” she can’t speak.

Zexal nods. “I know. We’ll talk later, I promise. I love you both, now get back to the ship and get ready to fly us home.”

 

* * *

 

Zexal looks down at the card in her hand—yes, she’s a girl now, and she’s ready to fight. The card glows and then changes.

“Rank up Numeron Force,” she says.

“What?!” Vector screams, “You modified the card?!”

“No,” Zexal says, “I revealed its’ true form.” She grins. “For my will is as strong as yours, and my Kingdom is as great.” She laughs at the look on Vector’s face. “You never did watch Labyrinth with us, did you, Vector?”

She ranks up Hope Ray V to Hope Ray Victory, negates Sargasso’s effect, and kicks Vector’s ass.

 

 

Durbe calls to Mizael and tells him that they have to go. The two Barians vanish into a swirling green and blue light. Ryoga and Kite take that as their cue to haul ass back to the ship. They hightail it past falling rocks, so close to the ship when the ground breaks under their feet…

“Saved your life!” A voice crows as a hand grabs Ryoga by the back of his shirt. He looks up—it’s Zexal. The green light of a tractor beam encases them, and in a flash, they’re back on the ship.

“Here we go!” Orbital 7 screams, and the ship speeds out of Sargasso, back into the Galaxy Hole and away from this nightmare.

Zexal glows, and when the glow fades Astral and Yuma stand apart.

Ryoga runs to Yuma and hugs her as tight as he can. “Thank god, thank the universe, thank you David Bowie,” he mutters.

Yuma hugs him just as tightly. “I’m sorry,” she whispers tearfully. “I’m so sorry I dragged you into this, all of you, I’m so, so sorry.”

Ryoga knows she’ll keep apologizing, so he stops her with a kiss. He keeps it short, because he knows she’s barely breathing, and then he wipes tears from her cheeks. “It’s not your fault,” he says.

Kotori and Rio each hug Yuma and tell her the same thing. Kite even comes over and gives her a one-armed hug and tells her not to beat herself up.

Finally, Yuma sighs and rubs her cheeks. “But how will we tell the others about…Vector?” She asks.

“Together,” Ryoga says, taking one of Yuma’s hands.

“Together,” Astral agrees, taking her other hand. “Like we always have, and always will.”


End file.
